4. Four more months

I leave Papa in the dining room and run back to my old bedroom, which, as strange as it might seem, is still intact, with the colors and sheets the same as when I left home, without a speck of dust.

The housekeeper must be working overtime.

Only a madman would take Cicero's threats lightly. I've lived in this godforsaken house with him long enough to know what he's capable of.

If he said he'll send me a picture of Pius corpse, then he definitely will.

I try Pius’ number again, and it’s still not reachable. I need to find another way to reach out to him.

I haven't forgiven him for what he did to me, but that didn't mean that I wanted him dead.

But it's disturbing that I can’t find any of his siblings' contact information in my phone anymore.

At what point did I delete their…

Suddenly, my body jolts hard as someone holds my neck and shoves my body against the wall close to the nightstand.

His scent envelopes me, and I shut my eyes, knowing who it is.

"Cicero..." I breathe out, my face pressed to the wall.

"Sweet Nell." He replies.

He drags my neck backward and captures my lips in a forceful kiss.

It brings back all the memories: sweet, sad, good, ugly. All of it, reminding me once more that this was part of the reason I decided to stay away from this house.

I lose myself to the softness of Cicero’s lips. The kiss is sweet, tender, and full of raw, animalistic hunger and a promise of passion.

He snaps me out of my haze when I hear the shutter sound of a camera.

"What the fuck!" I yell, pushing him away.

Cicero flashes a wicked grin while running his tongue across his lips. "Still as tasty as the last time."

"You asshole." I reach for the camera, but he pulls it out of my reach. "What do you want?!"

He traps me with both hands, placing them on the wall.

"What do you want, please?" I whisper.

He shoves the camera in his pants pocket. Then he leans closer to me.

I try to sneak out from under his stretched arm, but he bangs his palm against the wall angrily.

"Don’t." His voice shakes with rage, and I stand like a statue on his command.

His fingers move as he unbuttons my jeans and shoves his hand in, easily bypassing my silky underwear and sinking his blunt middle finger into me.

I gasp, jump, and thump his chest with my fists, but he’s an immovable brick wall in front of me.

"You’re in my blood, just as I’m in yours. No one can take my place in your life, sweet Nell."

I go on my tiptoes as he slips another finger into me. He applies pressure on my G-spot, and I shriek and shove at him, but he leans into me, making anything I do with my hands ineffective.

I’m smothered by him and at his mercy. "I was your first." He says harshly. "I imprinted myself on you. You’ll never be free of me."

I try to shake my head, but I can’t with his hand pinning my head to the wall.

I’m not sure if it’s fear or my body reacting instinctively to his intrusion, but I squirt all over his fingers.

He drops his face onto my hair and groans.

"You feel that sweet Nell; your body yearns for mine. You can't deny what’s between us. You were made for me, Nelle. And when it's time, I'll make you admit it."

I shake my head, insistent on denying whatever he’s saying. He chuckles cruelly, and his fingers begin to caress my spot.

Soon, my fear morphs into pleasure as I claw his wrist, but he doesn’t let up.

"You don't know the oceans I've swarmed just to be with you. But you'll know all of that soon."

I breathe so fast and heavily and manage to let out, "This is wrong, you're my brother-"

He does something with his fingers that makes me whimper.

"I don't remember sharing the surname as you. Neither do I remember my father adopting you as his child. Sweet Nell, you are no sister of mine. You are my woman." He captures my chin and pins me to look at him.

"I'm married-"

"To a serial gambler, a wife beater, a petty thief, and oh, he cheats on you too. You just didn't know it."

He angles his finger, and I become breathless. "You'll come to work as part of my team, Nell. You need the cash, the experience, and exposure."

"And if I refuse?" I spark, and his fingers tapped at my G-spot continuously that my orgasm almost exploded.

But he is right in time to stop it. 'Bastard'!

"You won't like to know what I'll do." He scoffs and pushes my ass closer to his fingers. "When was the last time you got loved, really loved, Nell? When was the last time you got worshipped, pampered, praised, fucked; like the orgasmically-amazing kind of fuck?"

I shut my eyes, fighting my senses to remain focused while his fingers bring me to the edge and stop me from falling off it.

"I'm-I'm not doing this with you, Cicero. I-" My body shakes, and I grasp onto his arm for support.

He brings his nose close to my cheek and inhales deeply, like I have some sort of fragrance right there.

"Fourteen fucking months, sweet Nelle. I've been celibate... for you. Eight fucking months you've been away from me. Four more months until one year. Best believe that when your given time is up, nothing in this world will stop me from claiming you."

He scissors his fingers, making me jerk like a puppet.

I grip his wrist with both hands and rock my hips before I catch myself and stop.

"That’s my girl."

Abruptly, his hand disappears from between my legs. He presses a hand against my back to brace me against the wall as he drags my jeans down.

I widened my stance to stop him from pulling them off, but it gets him so upset that he roughly yanks them off before he shuffles me toward the bed.

"Ci..." I whisper, and it feels like a shocking reminder as he breathes laboriously.

"Fuck, I can't even control myself when I'm with you!" He groans, stepping away from me. "Four more months, Sweet Nelle, and you'll be all mine. No more breaks this time."

He then crosses the room, "You have no choice." He adds before shutting the door behind him.

I pull up my jeans, panting and rubbing my thighs, yearning for the orgasm he didn't give me.

My phone pings, and when I tap on the notification, it is a time and date-stamped image of Pius tied to a pole with bruises all over his body.

Jesus Christ!

Cicero Russo is a fuckin monster. The world needs to know that their golden boy is a f*cking murderer.

I know why he sent me the picture. He wants me to beg, and then he'll give me his conditions.

I've played his game long enough to understand his handwriting when I see one.

F*cking Russo!